


Secret Santa

by invisibledaemon



Series: 12 Days of Starmora [3]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Secret Santa, which is not-so-secret with the guardians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 20:58:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12943752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisibledaemon/pseuds/invisibledaemon
Summary: They didn't draw each other's names in the team's Secret Santa, but they got each other something anyway





	Secret Santa

**Author's Note:**

> 12 Days of Starmora Day 3 - Gifts

“It seems Groot enjoyed the gift you got him,” Gamora says as they walk into their room that night, each carrying their own gifts. **  
**

Peter grins, but says, “That  _we_  got him, really. You’re the one who gave me the idea.”

She tilts her head, allowing that.

“You wanna keep this?” he asks, handing her the large knife that Drax had given him.

“Sure,” she says, taking it eagerly. “But I’m sure Drax is going to try challenge you to spar with it at one point or another.”

Peter groans.

It was  _supposed_  to be a secret, of course, that Drax was the one who gave it to him, but there was no actual mystery as to who had gotten whom in the Secret Santa. Drax had laughed maniacally and launched into a spiel about the knife’s sharpness and how he’s sure Gamora has taught him much about the art of knife work (at which point Peter had muttered, “Yeah, that’s how we spend all of our time,” and Gamora had elbowed him in the side). She actually  _had_  taught him some of the basics of throwing knives, but none as large as the one Drax gave him.

Mantis had loudly  _announced_  that she’d gotten the one for Gamora, before Peter reminded her too late that “secret” is the key word in Secret Santa. He more than forgave her, however, after Gamora showed him–and  _only him_ –that she’d gotten her some lacy purple underwear Gamora had casually mentioned she thought were pretty a few weeks before. She and Peter both told Mantis “thank you” at the same time. 

Rocket had been given a stick figure drawing of the entire team, the name ‘Groot’ written above each of them. They all politely ignored it when his eyes started watering.

Mantis had gotten a box full of assorted wires and pieces of metal, which Rocket had whispered were all the parts necessary to make a bomb.

The only two who hadn’t been completely obvious were the ones Peter and Gamora gave. Gamora had given Drax a knife sharpener. He pulled out his knives and used it right away, saying that they’d gotten slightly dull with all the blood of his enemies, etc. Peter had given Groot a set of blocks that automatically rebuild themselves into a tower every time he knocks them down – which he did, gleefully, dozens of times in a row.

Now back in their room, Gamora sets her box and the folded up wrapping paper she’d removed from it on top of the dresser, lingering there. It had been a fun evening, and she has to admit that Peter’s Secret Santa idea was a good one. However, he had seemed disappointed when they drew names out of a hat (which he’d insisted was part of the tradition, despite Rocket telling him he could just use a program for that) and he and Gamora hadn’t magically drawn each other’s names.

So, she decided to buy him one anyway, though she didn’t want to give it to him in front of the others.

She’s standing in front of the dresser with her hand hovering over the top drawer, inexplicably nervous to present this to him, when he suddenly clears his throat behind her.

She turns to see him standing there with a nervous smile and holding a small, wrapped box out to her.

“Oh,” she says, looking between him and the box. It’s wider than it is tall, but just barely, and messily wrapped in paper a shade of pink that matches her hair almost perfectly. “Peter–”

“I know I didn’t get your name,” he says, gesturing eagerly to the box again. “But I really wanted to get you something.”

She finally takes it, slowly, as though it’s a precious treasure. And it is, really; this isn’t the first gift he’s ever given her, not by a long shot, but it feels special for some reason. Perhaps his love of the Terran holiday has spread to her as well.

“Open it!” he says, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“I’m opening it,” she laughs warmly, sliding her thumb under the taped paper and opening it gently so she doesn’t rip it.

Peter continues watching her like a hawk, not saying anything despite the fact that she can tell he’s impatient.

“Oh, Peter,” she breathes once she gets it open. It’s an ornate metal box, intricate carvings along the surface and four short, curved legs on the bottom. There’s a latch near the middle and she opens it carefully. The inside is divided into several even sections and covered in a soft, smooth material. She runs her finger along it lightly, as though afraid to break it.

“It’s a jewelry box,” he explains when she hasn’t spoken for a moment. “So you don’t have to keep just setting yours on the bathroom counter.”

“It’s beautiful,” she says, swallowing back the lump in her throat. She tears her eyes away from it to look at him; he still seems nervous. “I love it. I’ve never had anything like this before.”

He smiles, relieved. “Well, you deserve it.”

She sets it down gently next to her other gift and hugs him fiercely. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he murmurs into her shoulder.

They stay that way for a while, Gamora debating whether or not she should even bother giving him his present now. It’s nothing compared to what he got her, but she supposes that since he got her something…

“I got you something too,” she says when she finally pulls back.

“You did?” Peter grins, looking excited again.

“Yes.” She pulls open the top drawer of the dresser, pushes back some of the clothes, and lifts a secret compartment on the bottom.

“Wait, there’s a hidden door in there? Where did that come from?”

She ignores him and pulls out the little bag that’s been hiding in the compartment, holding it out to him silently. “It is nothing special.”

“Of course it is,” Peter says, taking it and immediately tearing the tissue paper off the top. “It’s from you.”

His jaw drops when he pulls it out, but Gamora shifts uncomfortably. She’d forgotten exactly how ratty it looks.

It’s a small car that fits easily in the palm of Peter’s hand. Much of the paint has chipped off, but there’s a letter on it that the person who’d sold it to her insisted was a Terran ‘M,’ and a funny-looking man with bright red hair sticking out of what she supposes is the pilot’s seat on top.

“Oh my god,” Peter says, still staring at it. “Oh my god. Gamora, is this–from Earth?”

“Yes,” she says, gripping her belt and watching him nervously. “It’s not much. But I contacted every connection I still have and it was the only thing I could find from your home world.”

“Gamora, this is  _amazing_ ,” he says, laughing incredulously. “I had one of these!”

“Did you?” she asks, perking up. That would make it more significant.

“Yeah! It’s a Happy Meal toy from McDonald’s! I wonder if it still works.”

He turns it over. There’s a little device on the back that looks like a primitive clock winder, which he turns several times before setting the toy back on its wheels in the palm of his hand. It moves just a little, from his palm to his wrist, before sputtering out, but Peter is laughing in delight.

“It does! This is incredible!”

This time it’s his turn to pull her into a tight hug.

“What did you mean it’s not special?” he whispers, still holding her.

“Well, it is very small and damaged–”

“It’s from Earth,” he says simply. “And you made the effort to get it for me. That’s special in itself, ‘Mora.”

Before she has a chance to respond, he pulls away only to cup her face in his hands and kiss her. She lets out a surprised, pleased laugh when he pulls away.

“I’m guessing you like it?”

“You have to guess?” He shakes his head in mock-dismay. “Then I’m clearly not doing a good enough job showing you.”

He kisses her again, harder this time, and she smiles against his lips; she’s pretty sure she has her answer.

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/168292635048/secret-santa)


End file.
